good morning, america. i'm robin roberts. >> and i'm george stephanopoulos. it's thursday, september 23rd. and this morning, battle plan. republicans unveil their pledge to america. cutting taxes and repealing health care. we'll talk to one of the architects and hear the president's response. a major recall. parents around the country, scramble to check their baby formula, after a leading manufacturer, announces it found beetle parts in similac powder. a little boy. the parents he's only known. but they're refusing to give him back. and mr. colbert goes to

washington. why stephen colbert is testifying before congress. and why the only thing we need is fear itself. he's there live this morning. good morning, everyone. with colbert here, we need you full strength. >> i feel a lot better than i look. i have jake tapper, just in case my voice gives out. >> put me in, coach. i'm ready. >> shove me out of the way. >> for a second, i thought he was too eager to jump in there. let's get to the news this morning. the republican party pledge to america. they're unveiling it today. spelling out exactly what they would do if they took control of congress. promising to shrink the size of government. get control of the deficit. we saw president obama lashing out at it. and we'll have paul ryan here. he's one of the party's rising stars.

we'll talk about it in a couple minutes. also this morning, we'll hear the chilling confession of one of the men accused in the brutal home invasion in connecticut. what he says really happened that day. and why his words could lead to that conviction. we're going to begin with the republican party's pledge to america. will it help them take back congress? jonathan karl is in sterling, virginia, where the announcement will be made later. >> reporter: good morning, robin. the republicans are coming out here to try to do what they did when they won the house in 1994, which is to offer a specific plan of action for a republican congress. republicans spent much of the past two years, opposing president obama's big initiatives. >> you can't. >> we're the party of no. on this bill, hell, no. >> the party of no? we're the party of hell no. >> reporter: now, house republicans are coming up with a pledge to america. in order to get to the party of

know and what they call a new governing agenda for america. what they would do if they were in control of congress. at the top of the list, permanently extend the bush tax cut, all of them. cancel all unspent stimulus spending. as off today, $258 billion of the $814 billion of the stimulus has not been spent. repeal the obama health care bill. replacing it with republican proposals, including limits on malpractice lawsuits. block obama's plan to move detainees at the gitmo print camp to the u.s. newt gingrich unveiled his plan on the steps of the capitol in 1994. >> we're offering the boldest contract in the history of the united states. >> reporter: even nancy pelosi put forth a promised agenda before democrats won control in 2006. the contract includes specific pieces of legislation. many of which republicans have

already tied. >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: and failed to get through the democratic congress. the pledge hasn't been released yet. but democrats are attacking it. calling it a return to what they call the failed policies of the bush years. as the democratic leader of the house, his office put it, the pledge should read something like this. i pledge allegiance to the wealthiest of the wealthy, who we will protect before the middle class. in other words, george, the campaign is well under way. >> jon karl, thank you very much. the president was taking it on last night, as well. he's here in new york to speak to the united nations this morning. all the fallout after bob woodward's bombshell of a book. jake tapper is here with the latest. jake, i was struck yesterday. robert gibbs, the white house press secretary, embracing, confirming the book. >> reporter: the white house not disputing anything in the book. it shows the president as analytical and decisive. but republicans see lots of

ammunition. president obama is in new york to meet with foreign leaders at the u.n. but republicans are attacking foreign policy in the book "obama's wars" by bob woodward. we can absorb a terrorist attack. we'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even 9/11, even the biggest attack ever, we absorbed it. and we are stronger. >> the notion that the terrorists pose a threat to our very existence i think is dangerous to the country. it's dangerous to our national psyche. and i think the president feels that. >> reporter: liz cheney says it suggests an alarming fatalism on the part of president clinton and his administration. >> i think that the book portrays a thoughtful, vigorous policy process. >> reporter: and president bush's former u.n. ambassador, john bolton, considering a presidential run himself, did not approve. >> i think it's the most cold-blooded remark from an american president i can think about.

>> reporter: the president returned fire at a democratic fund-raiser, where he took on the house republicans' pledge to america. >> they might be announcing some new details tomorrow. but the chair of one of their campaign committees told us their intentions. they plan to pursuit, i'm quoting here. the exact same agenda as they did during the last administration. >> reporter: but mr. obama was interrupted by protesters at the event. claiming he's broken promises about aids funding and the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. >> you don't need to yell. >> reporter: he paused from his speech to respond to his hecklers. >> your message was delivered. we have increased aids funding in a time when the budget's going down. >> reporter: and the white house, last night, referred to the republicans' pledge to america, as the pledge to special interests. saying it would take the nation back to the same failed economic policies that caused the recession. let's turn to one of the architects of the republican

agenda. paul ryan, a ranking republican on the house budget committee. you heard the president. he said this is the exact same agenda that republicans had before he came to office. how is it different? >> first of all, putting spending, put the policy of economic growth in place, and cleaning up the way congress works is not only a stark contrast to this president and this congress. but it's contrast to way we conducted ourselves a decade ago. we spent too much money. we lost our way. we have to get that back. we are here trying to reclaim our country, by rededicating ourselves to the timeless principles that made us exceptional. these are the basic building blocks to get us on the right track. the first steps. >> congressman, the two, central items in the agenda, are extending the tax cuts of president bush. repealing the health care law by president obama. and your pledge doesn't spell out to paying for $4 trillion.

>> we put $1.3 trillion in cuts right there. but the president is proposing in tax cuts be extended. it's not as if the president and the democrats -- >> how are you going to pay for the $4 trillion, if you're going to reduce the spending? >> i had a budget that got $4.8 trillion in spending. that more than compensated for the tax cuts. raising taxes on small businesses, that is what the increases would hit. it is not a good idea in this economy, to raise the taxes. even some of the president's economic advisers are suggesting, we should not have tax increases occur in january. the problem we have right now is jobs, george. we need the economy going. we need job creations. taxing small businesses will hurt us from creating jobs. mark zandi, peter orszag. we're saying, cut spending, get

control of spending. >> you do concede that you do not have a plan to balance the budget. and you don't pay for the tax cuts you're extending? >> we can pay for the tax cuts. i have provided budgets in the past. >> but the republicans are not signing on to it? >> that's the road map. that's quite different. what i'm saying is we have a plan to get this country back on track. we want to cut and control spending. the deficit is such a mess this time. it's going to take time to balance the budget. but the president has added a budget that doubles our debt in five years. and triples it in ten years. we want to balance a budget with controlling spending. after all, that's the -- >> you also talk about cleaning up congress. you're taking surprising heat from conservatives. eric erickson of redstate.com, hits you were not taking on earmarks. he says the lack of an earmarks ban is terrible. cutting off a gateway drug to

big government is important. >> we've not banned earmarks. >> only for your conference. not for republicans overall. >> we've already done the earmark band. we've initiated it in our own congress. that's why it's not in this new pledge. >> you've got the pledge. what will you pledge to pass in the first year, if republicans take control of the house? >> right. this is something we could pass tomorrow. this is a governing agenda. if we got in control of congress tomorrow, here's what we would do. and there's dozens of pieces of legislation here we're talking about. the health care bill, we think is a disaster. it's making the deficit worse. that's according to the president's actuary. we would replace it with consumer-directed health care. >> that's number one. >> we would cut spending, right away. there's lots of things we would do. we would rescind t.a.r.p. we would do a federal hiring freeze.

that gets you $1.3 trillion in spending cuts. and we would would prevent tax increases from hitting our economy january 1st. we're trying to remove uncertainty so the economy can grow. there's a big uncertainty problem. businesses aren't hiring. we want to address that. >> big agenda for january 1st. thank you, congressman. >> all right, george. more testimony expected in the trial of one of the two men charged in that shocking home invasion in connecticut. it comes a day after jurors heard a detective describe one of the men's chilling confessions. andrea canning has more from new haven, connecticut. good morning, andrea. >> reporter: good morning, robin. that detective said steven hayes was, quote, flat and quiet that day. but what he had to say in the hours after the crime, was absolutely horrific. detective anthony guglioni, relived steven hayes' testimony.

he said hayes told him he and his accomplice, joshua komisarjevsky had become friends at a halfway house. desperate for money, they had a plan. hay beat dr. william petit with a bat. they tied up his wife and daughters. and things quickly spun out of control. a bank book showed the petits had $30,000 in an account. so, hayes took jennifer to withdraw cash. she can be seen in this bank surveillance video. >> we have a lady who is in our bank right now. who says that her husband and children are being held at their house. >> reporter: hayes stopped at a gas station. and filled up containers of gasoline. the attendant also testified wednesday. >> my skin crawls. i feel nothing but disgust about the whole situation. >> reporter: while hayes was out, komisarjevsky was supposed to put the family in the car. then, the pair would burn down

the house. instead, he sexual assaulted 11-year-old michaela. and he told hayes to do the same to mrs. petit to, quote, square things up. he complied. and then, they set the fire. it was too much to bear for mr. petit, the lone survivor, who left the courtroom. >> it was another painful day for the hawke and petit families. and i think everybody saw that who listened to the testimony. >> reporter: the details get more disturbing in this case. it came out in court on wednesday, that one of the suspects took photos of the little girl on his cell phone during the crime. robin? >> that's beyond words. all right, andrea. thank you very much. it's now 13 minute after the hour. and juju has the morning's other news. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with that major recall of infant formula. 5 million containers of the best-selling brand are being pulled from store shelves. the powder formulas may be

contaminated with beetle parts or larva, that could cause stomachaches or d s os or diges problems. the death toll of the explosion in san francisco, has risen to seven. three victims were identified wednesday. four other people remain hospitalized. blockbuster video filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy this morning. the move will help the rental change shed most of its $1 million in debt. no word on how many stores could close. and "faorbes" is out with is list of the richest americans. bill gates tops it for the 17th year in a row. he's worth $54 billion. we noticed one name of the list. mark zuckerberg. he tripled his wealth, to rank 35. and the 26-year-old is putting

his money to work. he's donating $100 million to the newark, new jersey, public school system. that's the news at 7:15. >> $100 million. >> he and the mayor are going to announce it. >> they can come together. thank you, juju. before mr. colbert goes to washington, mr. champion is in washington for us. good morning, sam. >> good morning, robin. good morning, george. we're at the d.c. national zoo. let's get to the flooding. there's lots of it. 11 states are under flood watches, warnings or advisories. we told you this would be a big rainfall area. there's three to four inches of rain in the southwest from that system. there was immediate flash flooding. we expect additional rainfall from minneapolis to marquette. and there will be flooding in that area today. pop on the high temperatures, and you'll see where the heat is. lexington at 92.

there were ten record highs yesterday. 90-a few scattered cloud decks overhead. temperatures for the most part in the 60's and around 70 degrees. arlington is 71 degrees we are on our way to the mid-90's today

and it feels like late july. you and we'll have more weather from the national zoo in the next half hour. robin, everyone is talking about this heat. philly has had more 90-degree days than ever before. >> than ever before? >> than ever before, yeah. >> all right, sam. thanks. than ever before? i thought i would do it again. imagine if everything you thought you knew about the "titanic" sinking was wrong? there's a new theory on how the famed luxury liner sank on its maiden voyage. it's a theory based on a family secret. one closely-guarded for almost 100 years. here's nick watt. >> reporter: 89 years after she sank into the murk, a shocking, new theory. >> i'm the only living person who knows why "titanic" sank. >> mr. lighttower, you will have

the boats uncovered. >> reporter: her grandfather, portrayed in "a night to remember," was the only senior officer to survive. and only told hiss wife what really happened. >> history tells us that "titanic" hit an iceberg because it was going too fast. the lookouts didn't see it until it was too late. and the ship couldn't avoid it. >> reporter: but the events immortalized by james cameron need not have happened. the man at the wheel misunderstood an order, turned right instead of left. >> i think it's possible. >> reporter: he corrected that error, but it was too late. the owner gave the order to sail on, to make for port. to save his precious ship. >> she took on far more water than she otherwise would have done. >> reporter: premiere expedit n expeditions just return with

this footage. her father didn't come clean because admitting human error would have sparked lawsuits. if you believe her grandfather this, fateful voyage could have ended oh, so differently. for "good morning america," nick watt, abc news, london. >> terrible mistake. we're joined by a man who is used to commenting on the news. now, he's making it. stephen colbert. the host of "the colbert report" is here this morning. >> that's tragic. i did not know that about the "titanic." when did that go down? >> you're on top of the news. >> thank you very much. testifying before the house judiciary committee tomorrow. the calling america's homeless. >> i'm testifying before congress. and everybody seems thrilled about it. >> i'll say. >> excited. very excited about it. the main reason i'm testifying before congress is to get that c-span one bump for my ratings. i hope it's c-span one.

if it's c-span two, i've been lied to. have you ever testified before congress? >> i have. >> was it a subpoena? >> yes. >> i'm not under oath. >> you're not the first fictional character to testify at congress. >> i'm a real person. oh, elmo. >> elmo, 2002. >> i'm in good company. i was afraid this wouldn't be a dignified event. >> that's what republicans are afraid of, too. >> kevin costner, another fictional character testified yesterday. >> republicans are concerned that you're making light of the serious issue. >> republicans are concerned that i will make light of the responsibility of governance? that i will some way impede the smooth flow of the governing of this country. i take exception with in a, sir. >> you have to -- >> i'm not going now. republicans are upset about something, stop the presses. >> if you were to go, what would you say? >> i would say, "a", let's look

into this "titanic" thing. founds like we don't have all the answers yet. i worked in the fields, george. i went out there. ufw had a program called take our jobs, please. and they offered to any americans who believed that illegal immigrants are taking their jobs. and i believe that they are. you should watch your back. go out there and take their jobs. >> and you did? >> only 14 people took them up on it. and i was the fourth. i worked ten hours in the fields. and i had to stop because my doctors told me i'd develop a condition known as a blister. i hope i'm pronouncing that correctly. i'm not a medical professional myself. they had it lanced. >> we want you to stay for the next half hour. >> yes. the keep fear alive mar. >> kfa in the usa. >> thank you, stephen colbert.

>> you can learn so much through humor. also coming up, we have an emotional story about a family. a little boy at the center of an emotional adoption battle. the only parents he's known to turn him over to his biological father. i remember being at the hospital thinking, "i should have done more to take care of myself." you should've. that's why i'm exercising more now. eating healthier. and i also trust my heart to lipitor. [ male announcer ] when diet and exercise are not enough, adding lipitor may help. lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication that is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. lipitor is backed by over 18 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness.

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> it is 7:26 on this thursday, september 23. good morning, i am pamela brown with your local news update.

we begin by checking on local commute. going north on 395 there is a challenge. there has been a crash in the hov lane. look at the pace leaving surely intended the delays began at landmark. notice the hov lane. the crash at glebe road was no to the right and after that it will start to settle down. even the main line starts to spread out. we have a complaint on 270 about a stalled car. delays are out of clouds a bird with the lanes open to the lane divide. it is a pleasant morning but it feels more like summertime than the first full day of fall. we have some upper level energy

lingering through the atmosphere and that is causing light rain showers in northern frederick we will take every drop we can get. there is one light shower pushing toward winchester. 73 degrees at reagan national and a few scattered clouds. another hot one today in the 90's today and tomorrow. d.c. schools chancellor michelle rhee will sit down with vincent gray at the wilson building this afternoon to talk about her future with the system. vincent gray says he would be open to read-hiring teachers that michelle rhee fired last year. we will be back with another update at 7:56. for continuous news coverage, tune in to tbd news on news channel 8.

oh. he is so precious. and he is at the center of an emotional battle this morning. the only parents he has ever known have been ordered to turn him over to his biological father. we have both sides of this story. and we're going to talk to his parents in just a moment. >> we have to talk to spider-man, too. >> it looks that way. good morning, grayson. good morning, america. i'm robin roberts. >> and i'm george stephanopoulos. also this morning, you saw a little in our last half hour. stephen colbert back to talk about his upcoming march on washington.

he is getting very serious. >> very serious. yeah, right. >> we'll talk to him in just a moment. and we do have something serious and incredibly touching. it was brought to us by our affiliate in dallas, wfaa. this is a moment you will never forget. two moms, bound together by an extraordinary gift. and we promise, just promise you, the story's going to make your day. it floored everyone. >> that comes up in our 8:00 half hour. just to be on the safe side, have a box of kleenex there. we're going to begin with the parents of the 3-year-old boy, who are ordered to return their adoptive son to his biological father. grayson vaughn's parents say an ohio supreme court decision is going to rip him from the family he's ever known. we're going to talk to the vaughns in a moment. first, barbara pinto has more on their story. >> reporter: christy vaughn didn't give birth to her son, grayson. but she was the first to hold him. >> there was no difference. he was mine. absolutely mine.

>> reporter: grayson's biological mother gave him up for adoption. when he was 8 days old, the vaughns took him home to indiana. he's 3 now. and this is the only family that he's ever known. what grayson doesn't know is he is at the epicenter of a legal battle. three days after he was barned, the child's biological father petitioned for paternity. 17 months later, a court in ohio awarded paternity and custody, despite a history of juvenile arrests. in a statement, his lawyer told us, my client, the biological father us with was awarded legal custody after a court considered all of the evidence. >> we never received a phone call from this guy. never received a birthday card. >> reporter: we were able to reach the biological moe by phone. she said she wasn't required by law to provide his contact information to the adoption

agency. now, the vaughn's oldest son struggles to understand. >> he says, daddy, can we go to see the judges while we're here. and we can talk about grayson. >> reporter: and the only family grayson knows, fights to keep him. for "good morning america," barbara pinto, abc news, chicago. and joining us now live are christy and jason vaughn. and with them, little grayson. and i'm sure spider-man is not far away, either. you're okay with us having this conversation, with grayson being right there? >> yes. >> okay. want to make sure that's okay with you both. give him spider-man. thanks, christy. this week, a court ordered you, yet again, to return grayson. are you in violation of that court order this morning? >> that court order is not final yet. we've got that in the supreme court right now. in ohio, trying to challenge that order. so, it's not final yet. >> and this has been ongoing for

quite some time. and i know that there is an immediate bond. we heard you say, christy, that you were there in the delivery room. you named that precious, little boy after your grandfather? >> yes. >> and talk about that bond from the very beginning. >> you know, i didn't know we would feel like having an adoptive child. i had a biological child already. and i wasn't sure what that would feel like. but there's absolutely no difference. i mean, he's just our child. and he has been since the moment i held him. i don't know anything else but that. >> and he's a rambunctious little 3-year-old. >> yes, he is. >> very awake this morning. more awake than us in the studio. in fairness, the biological dad was not told of his birthrigh r away. and he did attempt to accomplish paternity. he went to the court as soon as he knew he was born to accompliestablish he was the father.

he th goes back to 2007. his lawyer sent a statement. my client has sought the return of his child since shortly after birth. and will not relitigate this matter. >> he has filed lots of litigation on in matter. but our position is that is not supportive. there's two adoptions pending in ohio. our contention is litigation is not the same as support. we want him to have contacted grayson and supported him. >> has he ever met him? >> he met him one time. >> what was that like? >> grayson had a three-hour visit with him. and it was an interesting day. we drove to toledo and drove back the same day. it was a long day. >> you said, christy, you were talking about your two children, grayson's big brother and little sister, that they are also involved in this. aren't they?

>> yes. there's three children involved in this. it's not just one. i can't imagine telling my 7-year-old, you know, his little brother is not going to be there anymore. or that his sister, which we raise like twins, you know, won't have her companion. they stay in the same room and have been since they were born. they eat together, sleep together. you know? play together. >> jason, you and your wife, you say you're challenging this 24 hours to turn him over. that would be so traumatic for anyone, much less a 3-year-old. you think it should be a slower, measured transition, perhaps? >> yeah. there are laws in both states that say if a child is forced to change custodians, there should be a transition plan. the law says that. we hired a child psychologist to draft a recommended transition plan. we have filed that with the guardian ad litem in ohio.

if we're going to do this, it has to be done right. the current order that stands isn't right. anybody should know that. >> 24 hours isn't fair at all. and i can't imagine anyone would agree with that. >> where did grayson go? you have your hands full. i know you have his best interest at heart. >> that's the only interest we're worried about right now. >> yes, ma'am. i know you're going to fight this to the very end. we invited his biological father to be with us, too. but he refused our request. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> all the best going forward. and keep in touch with spider-man. >> all right. >> thanks, robin. >> bye. i'm is time, now, for the weather. sam champion is in d.c. good morning, sam. >> good morning, robin, at the d.c. national zoo. one of the things you may never have seen, is a kiwi bird.

he is knack nocturnal. this zoo is free to anybody who comes in. there's 2,000 things you can see here. a kiwi is just one of them. we'll show you the pandas. they're probably the most famous residents of the zoo here. we'll talk to them later. let's go to the boards. show you one or two things going on we want to talk about. here's generally a very powerful rainmaker in the middle of the country. this has picked up pacific tropical moisture. and it's making a run in places like minneapolis. just north of chicagoland. when these storms fire up this afternoon, these will be big rainmakers. just like yesterday, there will be flooding. elsewher right now, a fair amount of sunshine with scattered clouds and one little sprinkle moving

into winchester. there is one moving into carroll county but otherwise hot and there is one moving into carroll county but otherwise hot and yeah. he has really settled in and nice and quiet. flightless and nocturnal, robin. that's why you'll never get a chance to see a kiwi. >> what a combination. looks adorable. thanks to you both. coming up next, more politics and punch lines with in a man right there. stephen colbert. whatcha doing little bite™?

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the $20 dinner for two, only at chili's. ininininin china, they're busy building wind farms and expanding clean energy manufacturing. but in america, gridlock has held us back. now, the senate can change that - by passing a renewable electricity standard. it will spur development of clean energy and boost manufacturing in america, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. so we can make our own energy future - not just buy it from china. call your senators and urge them to pass a renewable electricity standard today. should we? go. my fellow americans, two score and four days from now, on october 30th, 2010, i am calling

for the nation to join me on the washington mall for the march to keep fear alive. >> there it is. october 30th. stephen colbert is here. what is that all about? >> that's a very dignified look. i wanted to give my announcement the grandeur and the dignity it required. >> what's going to happen on october 30th? >> we're going to keep fear alive, george. as i said before, on our previous hit on the "titanic," it's kfa in the usa. my rally was a response to jon stewart's rally, which is a rally -- >> not to glenn beck? >> who is that? he's a deejay, isn't he? absolutely not. glenn did say something interesting on his show the other day. he said that jon and i are going to activate the youth. >> activate -- that's exactly right. >> i don't know who on my staff told him about the youth

activation because i have been brainwashing them for five years. now, i'm going to activate them just like "the manchurian candidate." but not to vote. i want to scare them from voting. >> i was talking to a democratic strategist the other way. who is being very, very serious. >> they are. they are always serious. >> they think this rally is going to make a difference. it's going to help democrats in november. >> i can't believe that's true. i think it's going to take more than a march to help the democrats in november. i think it might need, i don't know, leadership. maybe a few more ideas. >> no chance to hold democrats? >> will the democrats hold congress? i don't know. i don't know anything about politics. i know what motivates people. >> you talk about it every day. >> i don't talk about politics every day. i talk about emotion every day. and what's work right now, is keeping people afraid. if it ain't broke, don't fix it,

i say. >> what should people be afraid of? >> immigrants. muslims. gay people. robots. >> there's a big summit on bedbugs this week. >> bedbugs, absolutely. is there any correlation between the fact that these bedbugs started coming around, when obama became president? i'm not saying -- there's a statistical correlation. i'm not saying he brought the bedbugs from kenya. but they are native to sub-saharan africa. i'm just telling people, don't let jon stewart keep you from being afraid. >> he has the rally to restore sanity. >> which i don't understand at all. >> he called you out last night. take a look. >> stephen, i know, my rally is about being sane. in honor of the type of discourse i think we need to propose, i would like to say this, suck it, colbert. oprah's coming to my rally.

not yours. oprah mentioned my rally. oprah mentioned my rally. oh, yeah. oh, yeah. >> yes. now, i know why they gave him the emmy. >> what are you going to do about it? >> i'm going to rock his world on october 30th. i don't understand why wow you'd have a rally to restore sanity. moderates together to have their voice heard. they shouldn't be shouting. how can you be extremely moderate? that's like wearing extra medium. >> what do you think will show up? >> americans. you heard of them? >> how many? >> how many? early estimates are 1.5 billion people. all i want this is to be a generation-defining event. my only goal is everyone who is not there, on their death bed goes, i shouldn't have spent that time with my children.

>> let me get your take on a couple of current issues. christine o'donnell? >> christine o'donnell. terrifying. she's a witch. >> she dabbled in witchcraft. >> i think she said she rules the night and feasts on human flesh. >> are you going to get her into your show? >> i think she's in a bunker with sean hannity. >> rahm emanuel. >> i can't talk about rahm emanuel, on a morning show. >> he's going to run for mayor of chicago. >> my town. my kind of town, chicago is. >> who is going to replace him at white house chief of staff. who should? >> why don't you? george, you understand what happens if you don't use fear. you show any weakness in washington, the sharks will circle. >> you want to go back to washington and activate the youth with fear? >> i'm going to do that.

you know what it's like to shah weakness in front of the tv in d.c. they will cut you down. you used to be 6'5", right? >> unfortunately, that's true. >> you were a forward for the golden state warriors. >> final -- finally. we are out of time. that's just too bad. >> really? >> we're not. you're going to beat jon stewart on the 30th? >> i'm going to beat him. i'm going to physically beat him. i don't know if i'll have more people than he has. i will bring the fear to counter his reasonableness. now, is not the time to take it down a notch for america. >> stephen colbert, thank you very much. october 30th on the mall. whoa. we'll be right back. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma symptoms. [ man ] symbicort improves my lung function... starting within 15 minutes. [ woman ] symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms.

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when we come back, the gift of life that forged a special bond between two families.

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning to you. it is 7:56 on this thursday, september 23. let's get started by checking the road with lisa baden. you said there were challenges this morning? one of those is 395 in the hov at glebe road. that crash is gone and we will see the pace of traffic which is slowly improving.

it is moving to get to the pentagon. in maryland, southbound to 70 delays are out of clarksburg through germantown. this is the pace all the way to the lane divide with the lanes open. a lot of sunshine locally but still a few detained showers moving into frederick county. they are not heavy or widespread. we will take every drop weekend get. 73 degrees at reagan national airport. most of the clouds are off to the northwest of the metro area. the forecast calls for mid-90's today but i don't think we will break records until tomorrow. we have to reach 94 to tie the record tomorrow. that is likely and scattered clouds today and tomorrow and the weekend will have a cold front moved in with temperatures in the 70's. virginia may have more money than it thought to pay for

transportation projects. governor bob mcdonnell is expected to announce the finding of an audit of vdot. they have hundreds of millions of dollars in a sudden. will back -- be back with another update at 8:27.

♪ my baby takes the morning train ♪ ♪ he works from 9:00 to 5:00 and then ♪ ♪ he takes another home again good morning, america. on this thursday morning. one more alarm clock. friday eve. you're really going to need the weekend. >> take the weekend to get to full strength. moments that really truly touched us. and we think it will move you, too. two families, a special bond they have. we don't want to tell you too much more. it's coming up in minutes. >> you want to stick around for this.

also, we continue our series on islam. we assembled a group of teens. including one, the son of the pastor who was going to burn the koran. we look at why there's so much fear of islam in this country. >> they were very open in their discussion. and we're telling you, we're looking for a full-time, on-air, advice guru. so far, we received -- >> 3,000. >> 3,000 applications. we asked people to answer questions. one of the questions we asked, whenever there's an issue between my mother-in-law and me, my husband refuses to stand up for me. how do i get him to value the relationship more than the one with his mother? >> he said, do not seek to get your husband to value your relationship more than his relationship with his mother. his loving and respectful relationship with his mother is a great part of why you fell in love with him. getting a great response. >> very sweet.

but a typical male response to the mom versus the wife. it's very sweet. >> how about amy's response? >> amy olsen advisers, gently remind your husband that he married you, not his mother. tell him you need his support. then, stop nagging. >> go to our website. abcnews.com/gma, to apply to be our dear "gma" advice guru. now, to a startling, new study out this morning, challenging whether women really need mammograms. it suggests that increased awareness and better treatment are the real reasons that breast cancer deaths are falling. dr. richard besser is here. it was on "the new york times." >> it was on "the times." it's in "the new england journal." very controversial study out of norway. they looked at 40,000 women from 1986 to 2005.

40,000 women who died from breast cancer. they studied what was the value of death on the mammogram. they found it was a 10% reduction in mortality, which was not very great. >> you hear women at home throwing their hands up and saying, what now? do we have one? and we're told that they are the gold standard. 85% of tumors are found from mammograms. >> well, that's why it's controversial. i think if you were planning to get your mammogram today, go get your mammogram. a number of reasons. you never want to change what you do based on one study. you'll go absolutely nuts. every week on the study, there's something finding dramatic. a month later, you might find something different. you want it to be confirmed. this is norway and the united states. norway has a system of universal health care. people get access to treatment

early. and it's a large group of people that manage every case of breast cancer. we don't know if that will have the same impact on mortality, where that's done here. a lot of women are detected late. until we have the information in this country, the data to date are supportive with going with mammography. and you don't want to give that up until you're certain that doesn't have that value. >> and breath cancer deaths are on the decline. >> that's great news. because there are better detection and better drugs. the drugs are definitely improving. don't give up that early detection until you really know. >> i'm living proof in a early detection can save your life. and you can find more on our website, abcnews.com/gma. and juju with the other headlines for us. >> fabulous insights. good morning, everyone. republican lawmakers are unveiling their pledge to america today.

it's a document outlining how they'll govern if they take vol of congress, after november's election. topping their list, extending tax cuts for everyone. repealing health care reform and canceling stimulus funding that hasn't been spent yet. president obama is making a new push for peace in the middle east. at his speech at the u.n., he is expected to challenge world leaders to support an independent palestinian state in the next year. 5 million containers of infant formula are being recalled. the makers of similac, says their formula could be contaminated by insect parts or larva. and the atlanta megachurch leader, accused of coercing three, young men into a relationship, was going to break his silence. but he was a no-show for a news conference. and canceled a news conference.

and katey, perry, the singer, sang a duet with elmo. when this video hit youtube, parents argued her costume was too revealing. producers have pulled the plug. but not before it got more than a million hits online. now, diane sawyer with a look at what's on tap for wnz wndz this morning. diane? >> our reaction to the child sex trade in america. particularly in portland. we show you young girls being lured at the mall, forced into the sex trade. continue, some of the people recruiting them. who are they? tonight on "world news." >> well worth watching. time to go to sam champion. he's in washington, d.c. hey, sam. adorable. >> look at this.

can we go in even more? i don't know. can we get the tongue on the icy there? juju, the star of the national zoo are these two giant pandas. this is like a fruit icy? it's fruit packed in ice? >> it's a bluted juice icy. and it will be warm. >> another 95-degree day. we're two days away from the record in d.c. i can't believe this picture. i think this is the cutest thing on the planet, are the giant pandas. as we get to the board, oh, can we pull away for a weather map? just a quick one. and we'll talk about where the severe weather will go today. this line of storm will light up. we expect to see flood

74 degrees at reagan national airport and 60 in the outlying areas. we have a sprinkle leptin out playing carroll county. that will continue to diminish and a fair amount of sunshine with scattered clouds and temperatures in the mid-90's. it does not feel like the first full day of fall. i can't tell you, robin, how cute. it is great on tv. but it is ten-times greater in person in this d.c. zoo is free. the national zoo is. >> beautiful. so precious. so sweet. all right, sam. thank you. well, you know, here at "gma," we are aware that there are incredible stories playing

out every day in your hometown. so, we're always on the lookout for the great things your local abc stations are doing. and this next story touched everyone on our staff. so much, that we wanted to share it with you directly from our dallas station, wfaa, and its reporter, gary reeves. >> reporter: sunrise over the phoenix suburbs. they will continue the mission they began in march. the day their daughter, taylor, just 13, died in a colorado ski accident. the day they decided to donate her poorpgs. >> excited isn't the correct or right word. >> reporter: their daughter may be deceased. but their heart lives on in the valley of the sun. it's the thing that's been on tara's mind. >> hearing taylor's heart beat.

that's what i wanted since the very beginning. is to find who has her heart and have a connection with that person. >> reporter: that person is patricia winders. married to joe, she's a nurse. at age 40, just one year younger than tara. and they're both raising two children. her heart started failing five years ago, after the birth of her second son. >> i felt like i wasn't going to last that long. i was sleeping 18 hours a day. and could hardly do anything than lay in bed. >> reporter: taylor's heart lets her be mom again. >> the boys are finally trusting of me again and enjoying their mom. >> reporter: tara's challenge is learning to be mom to just two. >> trying to find a new normal.

without having the missing piece. >> reporter: transplant alliances are cautious telling people who their donors are. but friends figured it out. that troubles patricia. >> knowing she was 13. that was hard to see. and taylor's picture. in a few days, looking at the youtubes and that stuff. it was just -- it just gave me that sinking feeling even more. ♪ everyone looking now and i'm running away ♪ ♪ maybe i can see your halo you know you're my saving grace ♪ >> reporter: online, she followed the story on taylorsgift.org. that's the website that todd started. there, she saw a link to our story. >> i can't wait until i hug the person who has her heart. >> reporter: that encouraged

patricia to reach out. the two moms grew a special bond. >> they've been e-mailing and texts. they had their first conversation a day or two ago on the phone. >> reporter: both couples faced the meeting exciting, yet nervous. >> i think it will be good. >> reporter: the storches pull up at patricia's door. the moms hug, heart-to-heart, for almost a minute. then, todd joins in. >> i know we should probably talk. but i need to hear her. >> reporter: patricia retrieves her nurse's stethoscope. >> this goes into your ears like this. okay?

tell me if you can hear it. >> it's so strong. >> yeah. she is very strong. >> reporter: it is the sound of life itself. it is taylor's gift. >> i am so sorry. >> i'm so glad you did. >> what it must be like for those families. >> strong heart. >> our thanks to gary reeves and our abc station in dallas for bringing us that story. and we know there are stories like this all across the country. and this one, we really felt you need to be here. >> and you can learn more about taylorsgift foundation.

go to our website, abcnews.com/gma. >> what a gift. be right back. and focused with your fiber. [ laughs ] but you already are great at doing that. really? sure. you're made with fiber, just like me. but best of all, you're the perfect size for smaller kids. [ female announcer ] give your little ones kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats little bites™ cereal in chocolate and now original flavor. they're an excellent source of fiber packed in a smaller size. [ doorbell rings ] oh, it's original little bite™. we're off to practice keeping 'em full and focused. yeah! we've got big shoes to fill! we're off to practice keeping 'em full and focused. words alone aren't enough. my job is to listen to the needs and frustrations of the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel or restaurant workers who lost their jobs to the spill. i'm iris cross. bp has taken full responsibility for the clean up in the gulf and that includes keeping you informed. our job is to listen and find ways to help. that means working with communities. restoring the jobs, tourist beaches, and businesses impacted by the spill.

we've paid over $400 million in claims and set up a $20 billion independently-run claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. and our efforts aren't coming at tax-payer expense. i know people are wondering-- now that the well is capped, is bp gonna meet its commitments? i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. i'm gonna be here until we make this right.

i love my grandma. i love you grandma. grandma just makes me happy. ♪ to know, know, know you grandma is the bestest. the total package. grandpa's cooooooooool. way cool. ♪ grandpa spoils me rotten. ♪ to know, know, know you ♪ is to love... some people call us frick and frack. we do finger painting.

this is how grandpa and i roll. ♪ and i do [ pins fall ] grandma's my best friend. my best friend ever. my best friend ever. ♪ [ laughing ] [ boy laughs ] ♪ to know, know, know you after this we're gonna get ice cream. can we go get some ice cream? yeah. ♪ and i do ♪ and i do ♪ and i do beare back today with part two of our special series,

"islam in america." today, we hear from a younger generation. dan harris got together some teenagers to speak about faith. dan is here now. this was a revealing roundtable. >> it was. we put together muslims, jews and christians. including a young man from the church in florida, where they were planning to burn korans. they may be teenagers. but the national debate over islam, has not escaped their notice. >> people have the wrong idea about islam. islam is totally against terrorism. >> reporter: of the non-muslims here, does anybody have a friend who is a muslim? none of you. >> i do. >> reporter: all the non-muslims stick up for islam except for jordan seth, whose father is a pastor at that church in florida

who wanted to burn the koran. do you think islam is based in peace? >> no. >> reporter: why not? >> they've been violent. not really a calm bunch of people. and in the koran, it says kill all of the unbelievers where you find them. >> i heard somewhere in the bible, matthew 10:34, there was a verse that said. do not think i came to spread peace. i've come to spread the sword. that can be taken out of context. >> being violent, like jordan, was saying. that's terrible. we're sitting with muslim kids here. >> reporter: jordan? >> i'm not saying all muslims are violent. i'm not gotting a stereotype together.

but every religion has its radicals. >> reporter: what are your thoughts on the proposed community center near ground zero? >> i think that a muslim has every right to build the community center where they see fit. and to deny the building being built there, is against the constitution. do you any people should back out because so many people are upset about it? >> if people are being disturbed about it, hay should move them. >> if we disallowed them, it would be a sign of victory. what caused them was racial and religious prejudices. if we do that, that will spread the religious tolerance. >> reporter: next, the talk comes to burn the koran. >> i personally find it offensive. if someone were to try to do

that, it's like the bible. it's unnecessary. and it's foul. >> they can burn the whole koran in the entire world. the koran is wisdom from god. >> reporter: when you hear what people are saying here, what do yo uh think? >> i can't force my beliefs on to them. and they can't force their beliefs on to me. it says they all brought books from the false prophets and burned them. >> reporter: to you, the koran is a book of a false prophet? >> yeah. >> reporter: burning it in theory, doesn't bother you? >> the false prophets of the world are going to go to hell. your main prophet, mohammed, getting people to a different religion, a strayer from god, he's going to go to hell. that's what it says in my religion.

>> he claims our prophet leads us towards hell. when we pray, we take care of every single step. are we not praying a lot? we are everybody toward god. >> reporter: before i let everybody go, as the younger generation coming up, how do you feel this can be rectified? >> a lot of dialogue. >> what is the best way to improve the faiths going forward. >> no comment. >> reporter: no comment? >> i don't know. >> is it your belief that maybe the relations shouldn't be improved? >> yeah. >> reporter: when it's over, despite disagreements, everybody shakes hands and chats amibly. that's more than we can say about grown-ups. interestingly, when i asked some of the kids what would be the

best way for the country to move past the current climate of mistrust, many of them suggested to build that community center near ground zero. they said that would be a good way to teach people about the faith. >> there was a real model for how to discuss the issues. >> reporter: absolutely. there was a few moments of raised eyebrows. but voices never got raised. afterwards, everybody was very nice to one another. >> okay, dan harris. thank you vur much. you can watch the entire roundtable at abcnews.com/gma. tomorrow, go undercover for our series, "islam in america." with quattron. by adding a fourth color -- yellow... yellow. banana. ...to the standard rgb color system, quattron produces more colors... banana! ...and makes images brighter. banana! banana! when seen in 3d -- whoa! whoa! aah!

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so pretty. anncr: want better customer service? switch to discover, where you can talk to a real person in less than a minute. it pays to discover. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and good morning once again, i am alison starling at 8:27 on this thursday. let's look at traffic and weather. we have delays of 66 out of manassas to get into vienna, 95 leaving dale city, through springfield left side of the screen toward woodbridge is the right side. no problems north of the beltway. this is 29 maryland out of columbia to get to silver spring and the beltway. this is the pace of traffic to expect. we have no accidents on the

george washington parkway and delays are consistent on 270 out of clarksburg. 8:28 and 74 degrees at reagan national airport. we have a few clouds of to the northwest and a few sprinkles falling out of the sky moving into western loudoun county. carroll county has one last little sprinkle as well. leesburg is 66 degrees. leesburg had 3/4 of an inch from the thunderstorm that moved overhead. today there might be an isolated thundershower i far west of town but it will be predominantly dry. mid-90's today and tomorrow and i think we will break a record tomorrow.

the crowd estimates are growing for john stored and steven colbert rallies on the national mall. they now expect about 60,000 people for these rallies. the original estimates were for 20,000. the rally is set for october 30. we will have another update at 8:56. have a great day. and this is my eggo. on fridays i have hockey before school, so i take two eggo homestyle waffles and put peanut butter inside. [ whispering ] i add a couple chocolate chips when dad's starting the car. [ male announcer ] there's only one way to eat an eggo...your way. [ quinn ] l'eggo my eggo. [ louise ] my name is louise and this is my eggo.

on tuesday i go in even earlier than usual. thank goodness for eggo, a nutri-grain waffle with a quick smoodge of cream cheese... at least that part's easy. [ male announcer ] there's only one way to eat an eggo...your way. [ louise ] l'eggo my eggo. ♪ ♪ without you it's like i'm here without ♪ ♪ oh, oh all right. >> this morning, she's making magic with the scene. they're called the scene.

selena gomez, it's wonderful to have you back with us. and she'll be performing. >> i love how hard selena works. she was practicing her scales. it was beautiful. >> heard her down the hall. >> it was great. >> thank you. >> gee, thanks. i'm busted. good morning, on this thursday morning. one more alarm clock. we're almost there to the weekend. also this morning, waiting any longer to make your fall plans if you want to get away, you could be throwing away money. airfares are about to skyrocket. we'll show you where you can catch the best deals before it's too late. also, how the yankees are helping one family have an incredible "extreme makeover." >> i saw a little yankees hat right here. first, you know him from hit shows like "desperate housewives," "true blood." now, todd brooks is in a show called "my generation."

it's wonderful to have you here. it's a folaux documentary. and it's ten years after high school. you were a jock in high school. >> i was. >> i was, too. and you're coming back from afghanistan. this hits a little home for you. >> say it again? >> it hits home. >> it hits home. we're shooting in my hometown of austin, texas. yeah. that's what i'm talking about. way to go, america. so, we're shooting in my hometown. i get to go home and see my family. my grandmother. my parents. it's long overdue for that. i've been in l.a. for ten years. it's good to be back around texas. >> how did you learn about the military to prepare for this? >> my good buddy, we've known each other for 15 years. he was in "operation iraqi freedom." and had a grenade thrown in his lap.

after 13 surgeries, he's walking and running. i'm not only happy to have him in my life. but i'm happy to have him in my career. >> i'm sure that's helpful. and it's great you have him working on the show. austin, texas. you're going into restaurants and different places. didn't you bring your grandma to your premiere? >> i did. she's my date. she looked extra sexy. >> that was a promise you had made her, right? >> i made her a promise. when i was 17, i said, i want to be an actor. she said, baby, don't do that. you're going to be acting like you want a job. i was like, thanks for the vote of confidence. i made a promise when i was 17. i said, if i get big moenough t have a premiere here in houston, you're my date. i know. >> that is wonderful that you fulfilled that. >> thank you very much.

>> you have a great future ahead of you. >> my pleasure. >> thank you for stopping by. "my generation" premieres tonight. time for weather and sam champion at the national zoo this morning. hey, sam. >> good morning, george, robin. take a look at this. we're at elephant trails here. this is the idea to create an entire zone here, where you can breed asian elephants in this one place. but i want to talk about the explosion of lion cubs. there have been seven baby lion cubs in the last few weeks. look at these pictures. you're not able to see them yet at the zoo. this is the only way you're going to be able to see them this morning. tiny, tiny, very garagele, little lion cubs. by december, you'll be able to see them here. and then, we come back to what is now the asian elephant area. they're going to breed asian

elephants here. they hope to get a large population of them. maybe nine or ten. and study them here, as well. let's get to the boards. one or two things to talk about as you hit the door. there's going to be trouble spots in the country. right in the middle. minneapolis, you're ripe for severe storms today. the heat will not give up. atlanta's 91 degrees. d.c. is back to the 90-degree mark, as well. and cooler temperatures, trying to work in to the northeast. also in the northwes in andare envelope 70's around the beltway. sunshine locally but a little sprinkle moving into leesburg. that will dissipate and we will have a fai all that weather was brought to

you by -- who is it? wait. i forgot who it was. somebody tell me. discover. thank you. we're at the smithsonian national zoo this morning, robin. it's been a lot of fun. >> you know what? we're going to let people know another reason why you're there. you're going to be honored in capitol hill, by the congressional family's prevention program for your work on getting the word out on skin cancer. and you're going to be there today to receive an award. we want to say congratulations, sam. and thank you for the work you're doing. >> thank you. >> you can clap for sam champion. >> it really is a show award. it really is a show award. it was such a good show. and a lot of good information. we'll take that award for "gma." >> you're a humble man and a good friend. brace yourselves, everybody. airline fares are on the rise.

you're going to pay 10% more than last year. that's why you might think about getting away now, before fares go up. here to tell us about fantastic travel deals is nina wildorf, editor in chief of "budget travel" magazine. people love to go to las vegas. >> that's absolutely right. and the deals in las vegas right now are so great. in part because there's just been an incredible building boom there over the past few years. there's so many rooms that they need to fill. and we have an incredible deal at circus circus hotel, through continental airlines vacations. it's three nights, airfare included for $304. >> including airfare? >> including airfare. that's out of austin. the rate goes up depending on which city you're flying from. this is the have fun.

it's the largest permanent indoor circus. you're going to see trapeze artists and jugglers. that's just inside. and then, there's the circus of vegas once you leave the resort. >> a little bit of everything there. that deal was from austin, texas? >> for viewers in the midwest, it goes up incrementally. >> we said austin before, we had hooping and hollering. put your little horn down. too late. when you're in las vegas, you're inside, you want to be outside somewhere. >> yeah. you know, fall, of course, is a wonderful time to explore foliage. and the best place to do that is vermont. >> sure. >> we have an incredible deal at smuggler's notch,which is this beautiful mountain resort in vermont, about two hours from burlington. it's in the northern part of the

state. and it's this old-school ski resort that really comes alive in fall. fall foliage is peaking this late in the year. this deal is four nights for $386. and that's for a condo that can sleep up to four. so, it's a great family adventure because if you and either your husband want to go out and explore at the beach, there's also video games, skate park and minigolf. there's tons of activities. can you imagine, a long weekend for $386. >> we only have time to share one more. which one should we share? >> my absolute favorite is the seven-night cruise through the caribbean for $490. >> for seven nights? >> yeah.

on princess cruise lines. on "the ruby princess," four stops out of ft. lauderdale. everything is included. under $500 for a seven-night cruise. we have hundreds more on budgettravel.com. and deals are out there. >> you heard what she said. the deals are there. thank you. three, great bargains. you can find out more ont these deals on our websit [ male announcer ] are you watching cable? here's what you should be watching: your cable bill. because you could be paying way too much. stop spending more for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone

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it's a new season and a new twist for "extreme makeover home edition." it premieres sunday, with ty and his team of designers popping up in unexpected places. we were there as the show and the new york yankees give one family the deserving surprise of a lifetime. >> reporter: for the past seven seasons, this was the wake-up call no one wanted to miss. that emotional moment when one family learns their home and their lives will be transformed. but for the eighth year of "extreme makeover home edition," ty, paige, paul and tracy decided to shake things up a bit.

this season, the so-called door knock can happen just about anywhere. including, yankee stadium. >> we're going to ambush the family at yankee stadium. and tell them they'll be on "extreme makeover." anytime, you're around 50,000 new yorkers, it will be more challenging. >> reporter: after a small glitch. >> the door won't open. >> reporter: the team was ready to go. this is so exciting. this is like electric. how do you feel right now? >> this is going to be huge. all of new york's going to help us surprise them. >> reporter: and they have no idea? >> what they think, is they lost and this is their consolation prize. >> reporter: for a prize this big, the team knows it has to hit a home run. first, a few practice swings. >> one more time. >> good morning williams family. >> this is pretty cool.

>> we'll do announcements. then, you come out. >> reporter: players like a-rod is starting to warmup. right now, we're following ty and the whole design team through the bowels of yankee stadium. they are the lutz family. right now, they have no idea what they're going to have happen to them. ty and his team are gathering the troops. kathleen and her brother, dawn, are raising six adapted brothers and sisters. and kathleen was forced to stop working when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. >> kathleen is amazing. very special family. >> ty pennington. >> so, we're here today to surprise a family we're about to build a house for.

good morning, lutz family. this is an amazing family. take a look at this. >> kathleen really stepped up to the plate. she knew she was going to care for these kids. >> they're not just taking care of their siblings. they're raising them. >> this is the best brother in the whole world. >> the house is over 40 years old. i don't have the money or the means to take care of it the right way. i try to give them the best life that i can. i'm grateful to be here with them. >> reporter: how do you think it will be impact your life? >> big-time. it will make their life better. >> reporter: on this day, everybody is cheering for the same team. for "good morning america," same team. for "good morning america," tanya rivero, abc news,

from tv and music, it seems there is nothing this young star can't do. selena gomez is kicking off the fourth season of her disney show, "wizards of waiverly place." she's out with her new cd. it's called "a year without rain." welcome, celiselena gomez. happy belated birthday. turned 18 this summer. >> it's weird. >> you're not a wild celebration kind of person. >> we just had a barbecue with my family. >> that's what we love about you. you always rock it with the shoes. >> thank you very much. >> so, your first cd went gold, "kiss and tell." is this a little -- now, you're getting a little older. is the music changing a bit? >> not in the sense of something inappropriate or crazy. i just think that we wanted to

do something that was really fun. and i think my second single off of my first record was called "naturally." and it took over. that's what we wanted to do. we wanted to do a techno vibe. >> how about with the show? going to do some things differently? >> there's a lot more magic. and a lot more love stories. >> you are growing up. >> unfortunately. >> thank you very much. now, performing the current single, "round and around." you heard it this week. here's selena gomez and the scene. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ round and round round and round ♪ ♪ round and round round and round ♪ ♪ ♪ you're standing there and act like you don't know me ♪ ♪ last night, you were calling to say you want me ♪ ♪ you always make me

feel like i'm the one that's crazy ♪ ♪ you got my heart racing my heart racing ♪ ♪ boy, i need you here with me ♪ ♪ i can't go on this way ♪ ♪ i'm falling hard for you ♪ ♪ all i can say we're going round and round ♪ ♪ never going to stop going round and round ♪ ♪ we'll never get anywhere we're going round and round ♪ ♪ i am getting dizzy ♪ going round and round and round ♪ ♪ you see me standing there and act like you don't know me ♪ ♪ but last night you were calling me ♪ ♪ saying you want me you feel like i'm the one ♪ ♪ that's crazy you got my heart racing ♪ ♪ boy, i need you here with me we can't go on this way ♪ ♪ i'm falling hard for you

all i can say ♪ ♪ we're going round and round we're never going to stop ♪ ♪ going round and round we'll never get where ♪ ♪ we're going going round and round ♪ ♪ will you kiss me i'm getting dizzy ♪ ♪ going round or round ♪ love me or love me not ♪ i'm staring at the clock ♪ love me or love me not ♪ i'm staring at the clock i take the pedals off ♪ ♪ and then i boy, i need you here with me ♪ ♪ we can't go on this way ♪ ♪ i'm falling hard for you ♪ ♪ all i can say round and round ♪ ♪ we're never going to stop

going round and round ♪ ♪ we'll never get where we're going ♪ ♪ going round and round you're going to miss me ♪ ♪ i'm getting dizzy going round and round ♪ ♪ we're never going to stop we'll never get where we're going ♪ ♪ i'm getting dizzy. >> going round and round ♪ ♪ whoa, whoa, whoa whoa, whoa, whoa ♪ [ cheers and applause ] building wind farms and

expanding clean energy manufacturing. but in america, gridlock has held us back. now, the senate can change that - by passing a renewable electricity standard. it will spur development of clean energy and boost manufacturing in america, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. so we can make our own energy future - not just buy it from china. call your senators and urge them to pass a renewable electricity standard today.

our thanks again to selena gomez and the scene. you're going to sing one more. and you can see it online at abcnews.com. >> that's right. we'll see you tomorrow. say good-bye. >> bye. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update.

>> and good morning and welcome back on this thursday. i am alison starling with your local update and let's look at traffic and weather. there is a crash on the westbound freeway on 395 south. traffic out of southeast d.c. is a backup to head on to 295 northbound and go past nationals park. this car wreck is on the freeway before the 14th street bridge and it is causing major headaches. north on 395 from the belt way to the 14th street bridge is in better shape. we will take you live to the maryland side. law lining up that river road to go across the american legion bridge. it is another hot day today. 74 degrees at reagan national

airport. it is a warm start to the day and it will be hot. we had accused rebels earlier but they have dissipated. -- we had a few sprinkles earlier but they have dissipated. mid-90's 4 afternoon high. this is the first full day of fall. you would not know it because mid-90's and i think we will hit a record tomorrow. something to make you smile on this thursday morning -- there are a few new editions to the national zoo. they have three new lion cubs. zoo keepers are keeping a close eye on the mother and her newborns for health issues. they joined four other baby lines or in the past th

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